Party for PBS

What is Party for PBS?

Party for PBS is a long-standing PBS tradition of parent-hosted parties connected to the Spring Benefit. Our community has always loved to get together with one another and after a year of COVID hiatus, we are thrilled to be bringing back this important program, which not only raises meaningful funds for our financial aid program but also builds connection throughout the year. When you host or attend a Party for PBS event it’s a win-win for our community!

Party for PBS events are hosted and underwritten directly by families, allowing 100% of ticket sales to go directly to supporting financial aid. The events held are as diverse as our community; some are child-focused, others parent-focused. In order to maximize accessibility, the school makes some child party tickets available free of charge for financial aid families or new families and sets other guidelines and expectations for parties that ensure that there are opportunities for all members of our community to join in the fun.

Image of woman on phone asking "Wanna party?"

This year, our goal is to have:

Child Parties

One end-of-year virtual party scheduled for each grade (in May or June 2021)
One back-to-school party scheduled for each grade (in August or September 2021), which can be planned flexibly to adapt to COVID conditions and guidance in the fall
One additional party opportunity for each grade held between May 2021 and March 2022
One or two all-school or mixed-grade virtual parties

Parent Parties

Several parent parties with a mix of small physically distanced options and virtual parties (in May through December 2021)
Two all-school, in-person, outdoor back-to-school parent party in fall 2021
One all-school, virtual back-to-school parent party in fall 2021

Pay it Forward Parties

In a time where a little extra kindness and gratitude goes a long way, we’re encouraging some “pay it forward” style parties! Here are some ideas to get you started: Organize a park or beach clean-up followed by a picnic, Host a card making party and deliver them to local hospitals, Create flower arrangements and drop them at Senior Centers, Host a mask making or decorating party and drop them off at a local non-profit.

Party FAQs

Virtual or in-person?

Due to the changing conditions of the pandemic as well as evolving county and state guidelines, we recommend that you consider safety factors before deciding what kind of party to have. We understand that there is an appetite for small, in-person gatherings, and if you want to plan any sort of in-person party, you must adhere to the most conservative and up-to-date county guidelines for safety. We also recommend that any in-person party that is planned can easily be moved to an online or virtual format. Planning a virtual event from the start may increase your ability to confidently plan events such as: virtual cooking classes, virtual murder mystery party, hiring someone to teach a professional dance class, etc.

May I host my event on campus?

The PBS campus may not be reserved for events outside of school hours – we are not staffed to support events at those times. When not restricted by COVID protocols, the outdoor campus is open to the public after 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, so you are welcome to come to campus for your event, with the caveat that we cannot reserve specific space for you and we cannot prevent others from also using the space. In addition, due to safety reasons, we cannot open any interior locations for you, and we cannot provide items like tables, chairs, or speaker systems.

While the campus is under the restrictions of our Comprehensive Campus Reopening Plan, we are not open to the public after hours, and you should not plan to use the campus for your event.

How do I price my party?

Hosts volunteer to underwrite the party’s cost so that 100% of the ticket proceeds support financial aid at PBS. We know that some types of parties can require more financial inputs than others, and we encourage you to consider the costs when you decide to host and also to consider group-hosting opportunities. We have set the following guidelines for ticket prices:

Child end-of-year and back-to-school parties are universally priced at $25 per student.
Other child parties may not exceed $50 per child without permission from the Advancement Office.
Parent parties range more widely in scope and in price, so pricing is more flexible. Events priced above $150 must receive approval from the Advancement Office.

In general, please consider the size of your party and its accessibility to our community. It is up to you (and your co-hosts) whether you would like to have the ticket price of your event be below, at, or above the per-person cost of running the event; however, most hosts choose a price that is far enough above cost to make the party feel like it’s accomplishing its goal of raising financial aid funds.

How do I consider accessibility?

Balancing the dual roles of Party for PBS events – community-building and fundraising – is an important priority for PBS! This is why we have set specific prices for end-of-year and back-to-school parties, which are intended to be for entire grade-levels. We also take some other steps to increase accessibility:

Families on financial aid may attend end-of-year and back-to-school parties free of charge
New families are invited to attend back-to-school parties free of charge

Some party hosts in the past have gone the extra mile and underwritten the comped tickets to their events with a direct, tax-deductible donation to the school.

In addition to these steps, we encourage hosts to keep accessibility in mind when planning their parent parties as well. For example, if you’re considering a cake decorating party, what ingredients can you purchase that will keep the costs down? If you’re planning a large themed event, in what areas can you save yourself some costs to keep the ticket price down? If you want to brainstorm ways to make your party more accessible, please contact Meiko Lunetta.

Throwing a Child Party

End-of-year and back-to-school parties

We hope to schedule an end-of-year party and a back-to-school party for each grade:
End-of-year and back-to-school parties need to have space for the entire grade.

Tickets to end-of-year and back-to-school parties will be priced at $25 per student.
Tickets to end-of-year and back-to-school parties are free for families on financial aid.
Tickets to back-to-school parties are free for new families.
Parties can take place outside at a PBS family home or at a non-home location, but they may not be hosted on campus at PBS. (See the FAQ above for more.)
Parties must adhere to the most up-to-date county guidelines for health and safety.
Although in some years hosts have had the option to welcome siblings to grade-level parties, we strongly advise against this in 2021 – especially anything planned in person.

Due to the changing county guidelines and unknowns for the fall of 2021, we recommend keeping back-to-school party plans flexible until we are closer to our fall reopening. That way, you can pivot as needed between in-person and virtual.

Other child parties

In addition to celebrating the book-ends of the year, Party for PBS often includes multi-grade child parties, as well as grade-specific parties at other times of the year. These events are less regulated:

Child parties may be of any size, as long as they are not marketed as “full-grade” or “full-class” parties, which must be sized appropriately to accommodate all interested students in the grade or class.
Child parties have a maximum ticket price of $50 per student. Exceptions must be approved by the Advancement Office.
Families on financial aid and new families do not receive complimentary tickets to these events provided by the school; however, party hosts may choose to offer complimentary tickets to either or both groups at their expense. Notify Meiko Lunetta if you would like to offer this option.
Parties can take place outside at a PBS family home or at a non-home location, but they may not be hosted on campus at PBS. (See the FAQ above for more.)
Parties must adhere to the most up-to-date county guidelines for health and safety.

Step by step for child parties

Get a few co-hosts together. Discuss budget and expectations with co-hosts regarding labor division, costs, etc.
Come up with an idea. Simple ideas are sometimes the best!
If your party is designed to be in person:
Do the size and other parameters follow county guidelines?
Can it easily be moved online?
What is your back-up plan if county guidelines change?
Fill out the Party for PBS form by April 1.

If you have any questions, please contact Meiko Lunetta. We are here to help! If you would like to be involved but aren’t sure how please contact us, and we can connect you with potential co-hosts.

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Throwing a Parent Party

Tickets to parent parties are some of the most sought after items available at the Spring Benefit! If you’d like to host one, keep in mind:

Parent parties may be of any size, as long as they are not marketed as “full-grade” or “full-class” parties, which must be sized appropriately to accommodate all interested parents in the grade or class.
Parent parties have a maximum ticket price of $150 per person. Exceptions must be approved by the Advancement Office.
Complimentary tickets provided by the school are currently not available to families on financial aid or new families to these types of events. However, party hosts may choose to offer complimentary tickets to either or both groups at their expense. Notify Meiko Lunetta if you would like to offer this option.
Parties can take place outside at a PBS family home or at a non-home location, but they may not be hosted on campus at PBS. (See the FAQ above for more.)
Parties must adhere to the most up-to-date county guidelines for health and safety.

Parent Party Ideas: Game Night, Cultural Celebrations (Chinese New Year, Diwali, Persian New Year), Parent’s Night Out, Wine Tasting, Poker Party, Yoga/Exercise Event, etc.

Step by step for parent parties

Get a few co-hosts together. Discuss budget and expectations with co-hosts regarding division of labor, costs, location, size, etc.
Come up with an idea. Simple ideas are sometimes the best!
If your party is designed to be in person:
- Do the size and other parameters follow county guidelines?
- Can it easily be moved online?
- What is your back-up plan if county guidelines change?
Fill out the Party for PBS form by April 1.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Meiko Lunetta. We are here to help! If you would like to be involved, but aren’t sure how please contact us and we can connect you with co-hosts.

Tax Benefits

For party hosts: Hosting a party provides direct support to PBS and allows 100% of the proceeds from tickets purchased to be directed toward financial aid. After your event, the Advancement Office will ask each host to report the amount of the in-kind support they provided. A few things to note about in-kind gifts:

Unlike direct cash or property donations, PBS is not permitted to certify the “fair-market value” (FMV) of an in-kind donation.
Instead, we will provide a gift letter acknowledging the donation and noting the FMV that the donor has calculated.
You do not need to provide receipts to PBS to demonstrate the FMV of your in-kind donation; however, you will want to retain those records for yourself, your accountant, or your tax professional.
You should consult a tax professional if you are uncertain how to determine the FMV of your in-kind donation.

For party guests: Purchasing a ticket to a Party for PBS event does not qualify as a tax-deductible donation because the purchaser receives a benefit in exchange – admission to the party. PBS does not generate tax receipts for Party for PBS ticket purchases

Due to restrictions placed at the state and local level due to COVID-19, we have postponed all further Party for PBS events until further notice. But, not to fear, we are working diligently to bring back modified events. WE MISS YOU ALL!